The invention relates to a manipulating device for handling, in particular for orientating, workpieces, tools or the like, of the type comprising a workpiece head provided with means for supporting at least one workpiece, a tool or the like, having at least one characteristic axis and drive means for rotating the workpiece head about a pre-established axis of rotation.
In the following description and in the claims the orientations are defined using so-called polar coordinates: the term longitude means the angle between the projection of a straight line having any orientation in space, on a plane defined by two mutually perpendicular Cartesian axes which form part of a three-dimensional reference frame, and one of the said two axes; the term colatitude means the angle between the third axis of the three-dimensional Cartesian frame, which is perpendicular to the said first two axes, and the said straight line.
Manipulating devices of the above type are widely used in automatic machines of all types, such as for example in automatic machine tools, in conveying units, feed units, etc., for example for manipulating workpieces, for supporting tools and/or for feeding material for processing.